tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290353342787143532024-02-19T02:21:52.435-08:00PhD BlogYes, Twain had it right...the world was here first.Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06131895378756249798noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129035334278714353.post-14918041828198092112012-06-13T10:04:00.002-07:002012-06-13T10:04:56.173-07:00Romney 2.0...or 2.1...3.0...whatever...Mitt Romney finally <a href="http://www.startribune.com/politics/158739215.html">rolled</a> out his supposedly "novel" health plan today and, guess what? Same old, old-old. Leave it to the states. In other words, pass the buck. What's the difference between government? State or federal---it's still the government and explodes, once again, the Right's demonization of anything federal government when---and the distinction must be continually pointed out---it wants to do so. Romney's plan would leave all the hard work ---covering the uninsured---to the states and, generally approaches health care reform these days (as opposed to his novel approach in Massachusetts) with the usual---let the market do its job. If a service (since providing or making sure of adequate health care to all its citizens in one of the richest nations on earth is deemed under the Right, a service, not a right or, it seems, a priority) is desirable enough to the public (re: consumer), then said consumer should be willing to pay for it. Of course, following along, insurance companies would be willing to offer it (with sow extra premium, no doubt). In other words, the way it is now.
And lest one think that the three health insurers' <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2012/06/11/news/companies/health_reform/index.htm">announcement</a>---led most recently by United healthcare---that they plan to voluntarily keep some portions of the Obama health care plan even if it is thrown out by the Supremes was some sort of magnanimous gesture to the masses. Thank again. In a coordinated effort (and no, I don't think I am being conspiratorial here), Romney made clear that reforms (if properly put forth as a need by consumers in a free market-friendly manner) might eagerly be taken up by insurers like, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/post/romneys-health-care-approach-let-states-and-market-work/2012/06/13/gJQAM5TjZV_blog.html">coincidentally</a>, "the provision to allow children to stay on their parents health care plan until age 26"---coincidently, the same provisions United healthcare and others are proposing that they will keep even if the Obama plan is thrown out by the Supreme Court. And who said corporations don't care about society's well being? Hmmmmm...
Of course, this is all to be expected. Romney has consistently shown during his tenure as a perpetual candidate to acquiesce, bend, and flex to the will of his right wing masters. If he becomes president, it follows to reason that one can expect more of the same---at least well into his second term, when, a faint hope might emerge that the "real" Mitt Romney might finally might stand up (or not!). Also, playing to
expectation is the general response to Romney's new plan by the Right---can you hear it? Silence...or near silence (see Ryan's tepid response below). No deafening roar of hypocritical protest from said corner. No over the top accusation of socialism. J'accuse!!! No demand that it be immediately revoked by the highest rigged court in the land (you know who you are). No melodramatic posturing and screeching that it is the end of the American way of doing things---of the capitalist system even! No assignation of negative label like "Obamacare." No...nothing. Harbinger of things to come.
<object width="384" height="356" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" id="ep"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="movie" value="http://i.cdn.turner.com/money/.element/apps/cvp/4.0/swf/cnn_money_384x216_embed.swf?context=embed&videoId=/video/news/2012/03/20/n_paul_ryan_budget_2013.cnnmone" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><embed src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/money/.element/apps/cvp/4.0/swf/cnn_money_384x216_embed.swf?context=embed&videoId=/video/news/2012/03/20/n_paul_ryan_budget_2013.cnnmone" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" bgcolor="#000000" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="384" wmode="transparent" height="356"></embed></object><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06131895378756249798noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129035334278714353.post-32147983794110696452012-01-18T11:05:00.001-08:002012-01-18T11:12:29.975-08:00Not calling a spade a spade...One may find <a href="http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/01/17/gingrichs-uncomfortable-facts-about-food-stamps-hold-water?google_editors_picks=true&fb_source=message">this</a> article interesting. The title suggests that one should put credence in the ideas put forth by Newt Gingrich because, regardless of the uncomfortable nature of his statements about black people and food stamps, some of the issues that he raises are valid. Upon reading the article, however, it becomes clear that there is something seriously lacking in it. Namely, the lack of any insight into the true motives of the candidates who are up for the Republican nomination. The author fails to note that Gingrich is being totally disingenuous because he has no intention of attacking the "problem" that he seems to think the issuance of food stamp benefits to black people is by proposing any helpful or effective reforms, he is merely engaging in race baiting and stereotyping for the sake of getting votes. The article seems to suggest that Newt Gingrich is actually interested in "raising" the status of the poor. Nothing could be further from the truth because if he really wanted to do something to help the poor, he would also, in the same breath, criticize corporations who, according to <a href="http://business.time.com/2012/01/18/the-big-winner-of-the-great-recession-is/">this</a> article in Time magazine this week, have been the biggest beneficiaries of the current recession. Furthermore, as the article points out, since Gingrich's main statement concerned supposedly helping people who "want to get off the system and help themselves," then he would already have plans to put to the citizenry his ideas about how to get those people back to work and with decent wages. Of course, he has no such plans because 1) he doesn't have a clue how to get us out of this financial pickle and back to work, and 2) he's only saying all of this to get votes and capitalize on people's fear of other cultures and classes.Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06131895378756249798noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129035334278714353.post-81716101999167358322012-01-11T10:00:00.000-08:002012-01-11T10:24:05.546-08:00They made their bed...As we head into the South Carolina primary, I think it is useful to think of what has happened to the GOP over the course of many years. <a href="http://www.nationaljournal.com/magazine/romney-s-evangelical-problem-20110519">This</a> article from the May issue of National Journal succinctly lays out the extent of the far right's hold on the GOP (44% of primary voters are evangelicals---not good news for Romney) and illustrates why the Republicans have such a difficult task resisting the influence of the Tea Partiers and those of the same zealotry (by far populated by evangelical Christians). The Republicans--- in courting the nutty vote for decades--- have made their bed, now they are sleeping in it. Romney might be able to neutralize some of their discontent by putting up a tea party or/far right candidate for vice president. First, however, he has to win the nomination and they are going to make it difficult because, first and foremost, it is pretty evident that Romney's Mormonism is a big issue for them (in addition to them not believing that he has their puritanical interests in mind). They are sort of like the far left in their insistence on ideological purity but worse in that they are like dogs with bones (and mean ones at that)---they are not going down without a fight (preferring to see the Republicans go down first if their needs are not addressed).
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MdfZmcuomcE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<a href="http://open.salon.com/blog/chauncey_devega/2012/01/04/iowa_and_beyond_common_sense_racism_and_the_tea_party_gop">Here</a> is another article/blog posting from openSalon from the perspective of the Republicans' creation and embrace of the southern strategy, an effort put in place by the Republican Party to use race as a wedge issue. It encourages those old ways of thinking (otherizing) and has worked spectacularly well for them over the years to the detriment of civil society.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/eb5vbMTtSrk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06131895378756249798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129035334278714353.post-79209240399459926512012-01-11T09:35:00.000-08:002012-01-11T09:35:19.322-08:00Here we go...again.<script src="http://storify.com/DEGlassco/jon-huntsmann-on-the-rise.js"></script><noscript>[<a href="http://storify.com/DEGlassco/jon-huntsmann-on-the-rise" target="_blank">View the story "Jon Huntsmann on the rise?" on Storify</a>]</noscript>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06131895378756249798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129035334278714353.post-56307807561068852482011-07-12T12:29:00.000-07:002011-07-12T14:19:02.438-07:00Mr. Murdoch goes down...<a href="http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/susan-milligan/2011/07/12/the-rupert-murdoch-lesson-the-us-media-should-learn">Here</a>, too, is pretty insightful coverage of Rupertgate in US News.<br /><br />And from AP.<br /><br /><iframe width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TWOkyQJDWas" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06131895378756249798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129035334278714353.post-31887542554753793342011-07-12T12:25:00.000-07:002011-07-12T12:25:14.908-07:00For Murdoch's empire, a scandal of its own - USATODAY.com<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2011-07-11-Rupert-Murdoch-News-Corp-phone-hacking_n.htm#.Thye8lrbyNs.blogger">For Murdoch's empire, a scandal of its own - USATODAY.com</a><br /><br />"When you think of how powerful Murdoch is here and in the UK … it's like a Wizard of Oz moment: Pull back the curtain and it's just this pathetic little dude."<br /><br />Hilarious, but as some have perceptively pointed out, the real scandal is the state of media ownership at the present. This could be a moment when things are turned on their head so that<br />the dangers of concentrated media ownership are revealed and rebuffed...but don't count on it.Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06131895378756249798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129035334278714353.post-32525578365460125202011-06-13T11:23:00.000-07:002011-06-13T11:29:37.948-07:00Blah, blah, blah...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCR6YHJcXLCmhAJvVl6u8m105AWtqR33OSqf16X8EhrE16NGLNdHf8qx_rBH3VtxB6sIKnqcS_QoTBf3Y22Y0sJIGix0VC0g-GEmp1hec1uxqAAonF9-D6khVQ98e3qIbyUlyoAUkSA1I/s1600/MICHELLE-OBAMA-GAP1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCR6YHJcXLCmhAJvVl6u8m105AWtqR33OSqf16X8EhrE16NGLNdHf8qx_rBH3VtxB6sIKnqcS_QoTBf3Y22Y0sJIGix0VC0g-GEmp1hec1uxqAAonF9-D6khVQ98e3qIbyUlyoAUkSA1I/s400/MICHELLE-OBAMA-GAP1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617772860810098130" /></a><br /><br /><br />Every time I read one of <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/12/michelle-obama-gap_n_875590.html">these</a> type of articles, it saddens me that such an accomplished woman, who for many years of her marriage was the main breadwinner of the house (while Barack was off dreaming of great things), has been reduced to a mind-numbing clothes rack. I wonder what she REALLY thinks about being the subject of such banal chatter. No wonder Hilliary chose the pantsuits (and even then she couldn't completely escape---who designed them, how many colors does she have, do they all have the same cut, how much do they cost...). <br /><br />Well, at least they can't say she's the angry black female anymore now that she is playing "the first lady role" exceedingly well.Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06131895378756249798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129035334278714353.post-43748314711207256692011-05-26T03:55:00.000-07:002011-05-26T04:14:35.642-07:00Oh please, PLEASE stop...a hahahahahahaha...Just a few words...It's really just political theater...a hahahahahahaha...<br /><br />"I know for a fact that Roger Ailes admires and respects Sarah Palin and thinks she is smart. He also believes many members of the left-wing media are extremely terrified and threatened by her. Despite a massive effort to destroy Sarah Palin, she is still on her feet and making a difference in the political world." <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/22/roger-ailes-palin-stupid-fox-news-new-york_n_865117.html">more</a>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06131895378756249798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129035334278714353.post-60869383134130404022011-04-30T09:27:00.000-07:002011-04-30T09:34:27.105-07:00if living in glass houses…<a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trump-filed-bankruptcy-times/story?id=13419250">Here</a>, with ABC's coverage on past bankruptcies,the expo begins on this bloviating, incredibly egotistical PR genie. It will be somewhat interesting to see how he is able to negotiate his way out of his checkered past. The subject might even make for a good research project in a couple of years because, of course, media will and do love the spectacle of Donald Trump. He is just so much more interesting than Mitt Romney or, maybe even Sarah Palin. One thing is for sure, Obama should stop playing by this guy's rules.
<br />
<br />
<br /><a href="<a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trump-filed-bankruptcy-times/story?id=13419250&sms_ss=blogger&at_xt=4dbc381f3e448b74%2C0">Donald Trump's Companies Filed for Bankruptcy 4 Times - ABC News</a>"></a>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06131895378756249798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129035334278714353.post-4282179915866612642011-04-13T12:40:00.000-07:002011-04-13T13:11:35.630-07:00Is it me...IS IT ME!Am I the only one... I keep asking myself. Am I the only one who is tired already of Donald Trump? Once again today he is lashing out at one of his many critics. This guy has serious anger management issues and is willing to trade low blows (even when they are all one-way. I suppose it's very fortunate that he is acting out in public because it shows even more (if one hadn't noticed already) his unsuitability for president or any other office other than "Trump Promotions." <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/09/donald-trump-gail-collins-new-york-times_n_847015.html">Here</a>, he is tongue lashing New York Times columnist Gail Collins where she recounts his circling her picture and labeling it "The face of a dog." <br /><br />This, of course, is reminiscent of his one-way feud with Rosie O Donnell a few years back--- remember, he called her a "big fat pig." <br /><br />Really, Mr. Trump, is that all you got? Is that what you're going to call Mr. Medevev, Mr. Ahmadinejad, Mr. Sarkozy, or anybody else you disagree with?<br /><br />How elegant and, more appropriate to the occasion, presidential...reminds me of a broke-down Sarah Palin.<br /><br />Here, even Bill Cosby is fed up with this guy (with whom Trump responded low class with also).<br /><br /><object width="420" height="245" id="msnbc12e78a" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=10,0,0,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640" /><param name="FlashVars" value="launch=42470974&width=420&height=245" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><embed name="msnbc12e78a" src="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640" width="420" height="245" FlashVars="launch=42470974&width=420&height=245" allowscriptaccess="always" allowFullScreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object><p style="font-size:11px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #999; margin-top: 5px; background: transparent; text-align: center; width: 420px;">Visit msnbc.com for <a style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;" href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com">breaking news</a>, <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032507" style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;">world news</a>, and <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032072" style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;">news about the economy</a></p>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06131895378756249798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129035334278714353.post-64950869186438550242011-03-17T10:12:00.001-07:002011-03-17T12:03:28.614-07:00See, this is why the Republicans are the big boys...So, the conservatives (re: most Republicans these days) are trying to push a bill through Congress to deny NPR of funding, supposedly after they were outraged by the Tea Party entrapment of one of NPR's head honchos(not really because NPR and PBS, in general, have been targets of conservatives for years). It is an illustrative case of how Republicans (and their activist offshoot, the Tea Party) are able to quickly mobilize to set in motion attacks against objects of their ire. Whereas Democrats have to be fired up only after the most egregious incidents (like Wisconsin... which took weeks to build up), Republicans gather forces quickly, set things in motion, and, for the most part, proceed cohesively to decimate their enemy. Of course, sometimes it doesn't work but not for lack of trying.<br /><br />And what of the Democratic response to the attempt to kill off NPR and its affiliates? The most vigorous response I have read/heard so far:<br /><br />"Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., chided Republicans for trying to deprive Americans of popular programs such as Car Talk and A Prairie Home Companion, which would do little in the long run to erase the nation's red ink."<br /><br />...because, of course, these programs are not the ones that set conservatives on fire...(<span style="font-style:italic;">shaking head in dismay</span>)<br /><br />No nuance (though out of fashion in today's media environment, it would be nice to engage it sometimes), no vigorous defense of the importance of providing funding to our public media system in today's increasingly commercialized media environment, and, most egregious, no exposure of the very real motives and hypocrisy of, notably, the Tea Party.<br /><br />In an <a href="http://thehill.com/opinion/op-ed/150325-npr-is-out-of-step-with-public">op-ed</a> for The Hill, Mark Meckler and Jenny Beth Martin, co-founders of the Tea Party Patriots, wrote that: <br /><br />"While the defunding of NPR is a given at this this point ... how long will we as a nation be willing to tolerate the arrogance of the self-appointed ruling elite," write Mark Meckler and Jenny Beth Martin, co-founders of the Tea Party Patriots, in an op-ed for The Hill.<br /><br />Note how the the statement confidently and masterfully uses language that presupposes the outcome as well as constructs language of outrage and exclusion to label and demonize NPR. In other words, NPR and their supporters are ruling elites, not us (of course, a gross distortion since many Tea Partiers are above average in income and are funded by the billionaire Koch brothers). Ah, the hypocrisy...<br /><br />And the liberal response...pathetic.<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3LrBf_avFu0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06131895378756249798noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129035334278714353.post-88460805915960133842011-03-16T13:57:00.000-07:002011-03-17T10:11:06.844-07:00Where is the other outrage?Supposedly, Bernard Madoff's interview with the New York Times drew outrage from both his victims and regulators (what really got them super angry was Madoff's insistence that banks and regulators had to have known about his Ponzi scheme and chose to look the other way)... which got me to thinking, where is the outrage for the larger pool of victims of the government's lack of oversight in the financial industry?<br /><br />A <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/17/how-about-a-bailout-for-madoffs-victims/print/">blogger</a> once irreverently pondered why the government doesn't bail out the victims of Bernard Madoff (though, admittedly,this was not the overriding point of the story). For quite some time now we have been innundated with the news of how Bernie Madoff swindled the rich and famous or both of millions, no billions, of dollars. While this is a tragic incidence for sure, one cannot help but wonder where all of the media attention is regarding the millions of homeowners who have been left to rot in foreclosure hell during the financial crisis. Of course, it is not as glamourous as Steven Spielberg, Kevin Bacon, or Jeffrey Katzenberg, losing millions but it is more tragic. <br /><br />Some glaring examples of media and political double standard:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Often Repeated</span>: Why would homeowners go into mortgages they could not afford?<br /><br />Then Again, why would so many sophisticated investors choose to invest their money with Madoff and ignore the many glaring examples of cautionary flags set off by Madoff's operation (we've heard it all by now: the small staff, the non-existent paperwork, the lack of transparency, the too-good-to-be-true returns on investments)?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Often Repeated</span>: Some of Madoff's victims may <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/money/markets/2008-12-13-wall-street-arrest_N.htm">lose</a> everything.<br /><br />Of course, some homeowners have already lost a lot more---home, job, security, credit, peace of mind.<br /><br />Although it may be terrible for those involved with Madoff's diabolical scheme, it has been terrible for many thousands more of less means. And while the story of how the rich lost their fortunes is certainly newsworthy, many of them still have fortunes left.<br /><br />Of the thousands who have lost their homes and jobs, who is telling their story?<br /><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FkLHJ9OgD6c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06131895378756249798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129035334278714353.post-53864951343698722162011-03-15T10:48:00.000-07:002011-03-15T10:58:20.238-07:00The best interview EVER...Bill Clinton was and is one of the best examples of a true partisan, which makes for some very entertaining encounters. He contributed a great deal to the unmasking of the formerly "we report, you decide," "fair and balanced" Fox News.<br /><br /><iframe width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3L2513JFJsY?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen=""></iframe>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06131895378756249798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129035334278714353.post-54220362524030156392011-03-14T11:12:00.000-07:002011-03-14T11:40:55.203-07:00... but why insult Al Sharpton?Politico has an interesting <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/51218.html">article</a> today airing lamentations of old-school conservatives regarding Sarah Palin's ever-increasing penchant for casting herself and her family as victims. Apparently, this is anathema to Palin's "blue blood" critics and they liken her to their other favorite old-time nemesis, Al Sharpton. What, of course, is left out of this comparison is that Sharpton (at least, the new Sharpton) airs mostly legitimate concerns. As well, as Slate points out in a <a href="http://www.doublex.com/blog/xxfactor/george-f-wills-dislike-palin-really-news#add-comment">response posting</a> on their blog, it's not exactly breaking news that Will and company don't fancy Ms. Palin. Probably the most insightful aspect of the article is the ending... does Sarah Palin really care about the hate coming from that camp (who could probably learn a thing or two from Palin about rousing the house)...apparently, not much.<br /><br />Here, Ms. Palin complaining about "50-year-old bully" Kathy Griffin:<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FeaZWKZMSCc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />...And Ms. Griffin's response<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YtBBE4Qvh44" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06131895378756249798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129035334278714353.post-54595725997837571362011-03-13T11:02:00.000-07:002011-03-13T23:33:26.831-07:00Clueless in Wisconsin...So, This guy says that he can't understand why the Democrats left Wisconsin and, later, that their leaving was an absolute insult to the hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites who are struggling to find a job, much less one they can run away from and go down to Illinois -- with pay. <br /><br />The hypocrisy is astounding!<br /><br /><iframe width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/c43KXC1Dvnc?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen=""></iframe>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06131895378756249798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129035334278714353.post-63823824820292219652011-03-12T05:21:00.000-08:002011-03-12T05:30:36.352-08:00What's wrong with this picture?Just another reason to get rid of the death penalty. Illinois recently came to its senses. Thank goodness. There is still hope for the world.<br /><br /><br /><iframe width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hbC25MdR5yA?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen=""></iframe>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06131895378756249798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129035334278714353.post-58610201944089723132011-03-11T11:50:00.000-08:002011-03-11T12:05:29.499-08:00Woe for NPR...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA6yOkwBWIGtQvpqY048nzCTBiDYb0nnHKknCo9Zl1__flitO9D_tNVZ_Ur9t5iFDZS7maQEBmouqZvlabik86lfxX_cy4B8LC8LJg9JmNKDjdKLVQErBnAlrLugcCRavC_MmnUzZWj8k/s1600/npr.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA6yOkwBWIGtQvpqY048nzCTBiDYb0nnHKknCo9Zl1__flitO9D_tNVZ_Ur9t5iFDZS7maQEBmouqZvlabik86lfxX_cy4B8LC8LJg9JmNKDjdKLVQErBnAlrLugcCRavC_MmnUzZWj8k/s400/npr.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582915963378672530" /></a><br /><br /><br />Statements made by Schiller:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">The Republican Party is anti-intellectual.</span> <br /><br />Actually, Republicans depend on media's competing interests and lack of attention and the lack of critical thinking within the populace. This is fertile ground for the acceptance of the hypocrisy of many of their core positions such as their favoring of deregulation which nearly destroyed the U. S. economy; disastrous wars paid for on credit; decrying tax cuts for the wealthy but then screaming about the budget deficit, etc.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">The Tea Party aren't just Islamophobic but are really xenophobic.</span><br /><br />Besides being a generalization, what is really untrue about the statement? The tea party membership does tread very heavily in that territory. Really, what else unites them besides the obvious?<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Conservatives are uneducated.</span><br /><br />As said before, Republicans and, by extension, many conservatives expect that individuals will not possess or embrace the ability to think critically and argue logically beyond war and sports metaphors.<br /><br />Again, I say, what did Schiller say that was untrue?<br /><br />BTW, NPR should really get a spine and realize that no matter what they do or say, the Right is still going to hate them (flashback: John Kerry in hunting garb). <br /><br />Interestingly, Andrew Breitbart <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/andrew-breitbart-piers-morgan-npr-okeefe-video-2011-3">said</a> the best coverage of the NPR scandal is on NPR. This is instructive and says volumes.Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06131895378756249798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129035334278714353.post-1065486121828550112011-03-10T09:44:00.000-08:002011-03-11T12:24:54.820-08:00Who you callin' educated?The terms “educated” and “elite” are being confused with “wealthy.” The term “elite” has been used for a long time by right-wing conservatives as a put-down of college-educated liberals. These “educated elite” include many teachers and professors who shop at Marshalls and get hair cuts at Supercuts. As for the other end of the political spectrum, “fair-and-balanced” Fox News is funded by a billionaire conservative. Somehow I doubt that he shops at Marshalls, and gets his hair cut at Supercuts.<br /><br />The term “educated” is subject to debate. Consider such icons of the right as Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich (who thinks Obama grew up in Kenya) and George Bush (who never would have gotten into an Ivy League school without his daddy’s money). The truly educated person has a working knowledge of history, geography, science, English grammar, and current events. I do not consider a person to be educated if they don’t know the difference between North and South Korea, don’t know where the current U.S. president was raised, or can’t form a coherent answer when asked a question by the press.<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="425" height="344"src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QReRVBO9aQE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06131895378756249798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129035334278714353.post-86203900361209188782011-03-08T13:48:00.001-08:002011-03-08T18:47:25.813-08:00NPR exec calls tea party members racist, xenophobic in secretly recorded video<span style="font-style:italic;">As they say, if the shoe fits...</span><br /><br />The former head of NPR's fundraising arm says in a surreptitiously recorded video by a conservative activist that members of the tea party movement are xenophobic and racist and that NPR would prefer to do without subsidies provided by the federal government...<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/08/AR2011030803148.html?hpid=topnews">more</a>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06131895378756249798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129035334278714353.post-27583579853395108492010-10-26T08:46:00.000-07:002010-10-26T08:57:21.730-07:00Civility, anyone?I would argue that this video is a microcosm of all that is wrong with the Tea Party...a sad but unmistakable downward trend in politics.
<br />
<br /><embed src="http://cnettv.cnet.com/av/video/cbsnews/atlantis2/cbsnews_player_embed.swf" scale="noscale" salign="lt" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" background="#333333" width="425" height="279" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" FlashVars="si=254&uvpc=http://cnettv.cnet.com/av/video/cbsnews/atlantis2/uvp_cbsnews.xml&contentType=videoId&contentValue=50095068&ccEnabled=false&hdEnabled=false&fsEnabled=true&shareEnabled=false&dlEnabled=false&subEnabled=false&playlistDisplay=none&playlistType=none&playerWidth=425&playerHeight=239&vidWidth=425&vidHeight=239&autoplay=false&bbuttonDisplay=none&playOverlayText=PLAY%20CBS%20NEWS%20VIDEO&refreshMpuEnabled=true&shareUrl=http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6992927n&adEngine=dart&adCallTemplate=http://www.cbs.com/thunder/ad.doubleclick.net/adx/request.php?/can/news/undefined;site=news;show=undefined;undefinedpartner=news;lvid=50095068;outlet=CBS+Production;noAd=undefined;type=ros;format=FLV;pos=undefined;sz=320x240;ord=217606;playerVersion=1.0;&adPreroll=true&adPrerollType=PreContent&adPrerollValue=1" />Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06131895378756249798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129035334278714353.post-52380142892769069652010-08-14T16:38:00.000-07:002010-08-14T16:40:19.529-07:00A hopeful timeline...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCl-eLuzhMlkwhNzbLFsGDvshiFWdoM_Q22Gawm7f5Uw20vFQe4KE7rkJZJsX1BV2ni1c4-lbXxVxg6fO3fywr_dj9y59xB3AFHgzpUdg2yC3ksnkB_9XZjhOFF5tJO3iNVOCjlQb_btU/s1600/D+PhD+Progress+final.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCl-eLuzhMlkwhNzbLFsGDvshiFWdoM_Q22Gawm7f5Uw20vFQe4KE7rkJZJsX1BV2ni1c4-lbXxVxg6fO3fywr_dj9y59xB3AFHgzpUdg2yC3ksnkB_9XZjhOFF5tJO3iNVOCjlQb_btU/s400/D+PhD+Progress+final.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505414303896052274" /></a>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06131895378756249798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129035334278714353.post-64216655860221360712010-08-14T09:56:00.000-07:002010-08-14T10:30:02.361-07:00An age old struggle...This is a very moving interview. I never followed Christopher Hitchens' career that closely but was aware of his controversial views. His interview here with The Atlantic regarding his struggle with cancer is stark and moving. It is certainly thought-provoking.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rz2L0FVWJGY?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rz2L0FVWJGY?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06131895378756249798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129035334278714353.post-29503533133923640872010-08-04T10:22:00.000-07:002010-08-04T10:33:35.129-07:00Two takes on Wikileaks' latest endeavor...I tend to take the view that "the need to know" outweighs other factors introduced by Foust in the PBS video. I guess a bright side of the story is that the government isn't necessarily acting Bush-like by "publicly" going after Assange (If he was a US citizen, of course, he would already be at some new Gitmo. Sad.). Of course, that doesn't mean that they are not going after him privately. Ultimately, we really need to know what our government is doing in these countries, regardless of how painful it is. Perhaps if it becomes so unbearably painful, we will think twice before jumping into manufactured situations like Iraq. <br /><br /><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FdfZ-D2oZiU&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FdfZ-D2oZiU&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qGJjWWaD-co&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qGJjWWaD-co&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06131895378756249798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129035334278714353.post-76954653051262342342010-07-25T12:55:00.000-07:002010-07-25T12:59:08.926-07:00Shirley Sherrod: the FULL videoIsn't the simple lesson of all of this is that you should always check your sources <span style="font-style:italic;">carefully</span>?<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/E9NcCa_KjXk&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/E9NcCa_KjXk&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06131895378756249798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129035334278714353.post-87733702335879497252010-07-25T09:57:00.000-07:002011-03-11T12:56:14.684-08:00Almost to the beginning....So the time is coming around quite quickly now---just over a month from now that I start (or, in some ways, continue) my PhD journey. I've mapped out the schedule I hope to follow for the next few years (just like I did in my undergraduate and masters studies) but, of course, things probably won't work out that way as the timetable is quite ambitious and I don't know if my soon-to-be assigned adviser will go for it. <br /><br />When I first started graduate school back in 2006, my adviser told me that graduate school was a lot different than undergraduate school, mainly more rigorous and independent and I subsequently found this to be true but it was not an insurmountable barrier. I've been reading the same thing about doctoral study as well. What I've learned is hardly surprising---that each person is unique and that each has to find what works right for him or her. It has not been easy for sure---especially for an older student like me---but I feel that, in my case, just taking it a little bit at a time rather than in totality has helped quite a bit. I hope this approach continues to work. I really do.Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06131895378756249798noreply@blogger.com0